I'm Sorry, So Sorry

Ok, so i lied. Not intentionally, of course, but I did. I told you faithful blog readers that I would be posting every day. Well, it's just not true. I didn't know that at the time, but still. A lie regardless. Many sincere apologies. Even though, yes, I have some downtime on my job, I have gotten to know some of my co-workers better, so this downtime is usually spent chatting with them about our families, our jobs, what a ridiculously large amount of information I DON'T know about Camden, AL yet, but need to know, etc. , so it really leaves very little time for blogging. And who knew working, even a part-time job, outside of the home took so much out of you?
I know, you're all thinking, what a spoiled woman, she didn't have to work until she was 21?!!??!! And it's true, I worked as a babysitter in my younger years, but since Phillip and I have been married, I haven't had a job OUTSIDE of the home. Key words being "Outside of the home". I know some of you won't believe me, but before I got this job, I didn't just sit on my fanny all day eating junior mints and watching soaps. I really worked. I cleaned house, washed clothes, did at least 3 loads of dishes a day (No exaggeration, we don't have a dishwasher and we have kids over at least 3 times a week, so MANY dirty dishes), etc. On top of that, Phillip and I lead the youth group TOGETHER. So there are alot of responsibilities that go along with that for me, mostly leading girls ministry. Any of you who have worked in the ministry before know that it's alot of work, however rewarding.
So. Now not only am I doing all of that, but I am working. And it's really hard trying to keep it all together. I have a new PROFOUND admiration for working mothers. I mean, I don't even have kids, and it's hard for me to get it together. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job, I truly do, but i'm so new at it I haven't found that balance in my life yet. And ohhhh how I need that balance. But everything is slowly coming together, God is good and has sustained me. I got to thinking the other day, on sunday morning, when we got back from a youth concert at 2 A.M. that morning, and I had to teach sunday school that morning and bible study that night, with NO NAP in between (Lee ann knows what I mean about the nap!), I CAN'T DO THIS!!! And then God whispered in my ear "You're right". And it hit me. That's why it's been so hard. Because I've been trying to rely on my strengths and my controls to get me through, instead of admitting that I can't do it on my own and praying to Him to give me His strength and sustanence. Wow. You know all of these things in your head, you've been taught them your whole life, but when God allows you to go through an experience that deals with these truths, they really come alive to you. What a great lesson for my soul.
On a slightly different note, I want to update you on a few youth things. Can I just say we LOVE our kids? We really do. I mean, I know they mess up and we mess up and sometimes we want to spank them like 3-year olds, because their behavior sometimes matches a 3-year old's(!), but they are GOOD KIDS. And they show us that they love us. How? you ask. We have consistently had at least 30 kids at youth on Wed. nights, and Sunday mornings have been just as packed. At our "small group" on Sunday nights, we had 33 kids!!! SMALL GROUP?!?! Yeah right! And alot of these kids don't even go to our church. It's amazing. One thing that I had really been praying about was growing our girls ministry. During the summer, we only had about 5 faithful girls. Our church's previous youth minister was a single man, great guy from what we can see, but the girls can't really relate to him like they can a woman, you know? Well, I had a sleepover the other night and 13 girls were there! I couldn't believe it. Even harder to believe were the 13 girls that were in Sunday school, not just church but sunday school, on the following sunday morning! Praise the Lord, he is really showing us a blessing! I also had a girl come over on Friday and accept Jesus. It was awesome. And after we had prayed together, I asked her if she was ok, and she said, (with this amazing wonder in her eyes), "Yeah, I don't feel empty anymore." I could not stop the tears in my eyes.
God really has been faithful to us here. Even though we miss our families tremendously, he has put people in our lives here that feel like family to us. And we are really excited about this weekend. We actually have Saturday and Monday off! YAY! Quality Time together. We have been missing that. We have big plans to watch the Hogs played USC on Saturday night and watch alot of "House" for the rest of the weekend. If you don't watch House, Shame on You! It has quickly become our favorite show, a really good one. You should check it out.
This post has gotten really long, so I will sign off once again. I would like to say that I will post tommorrow, but we both know where that ends up, now don't we? :)